This invention relates to a bench system for repairing automobiles and particularly to a breakaway bench system for straightening automobile or other vehicle bodies.
Bench systems for straightening automobile bodies are well known. Generally they consist of an elevating structure having a supporting frame (the bench) mounted thereon for supporting the damaged automobile body above the floor at a comfortable working height with convenient access to the underside of the automobile. The bench is typically provided with attachment points for securing the automobile, and aligning and straightening equipment, to the bench.
Some benches are of a fixed height and include ramps or articulated mounts to facilitate loading of an automobile onto the bench such as shown in Hare U.S. Pat. No. 4,289,016 and Whitney, U.S. Pat. No. 4,291,570, respectively. Other benches, such as that shown in Wright U.S. Pat. No. 4,542,636, include an integral center lift assembly for selectively raising and lowering the bench. Still other bench systems, such as that marketed by Paulee Universal Bench of Los Angeles, Calif., include a fully detachable, breakaway bench including casters for detachable mounting on a four-post lift system.
Fully detachable, breakaway bench systems are advantageous in that the lift structure can be used to work on different bench-mounted vehicles without being monopolized by a single vehicle until all work is finished. However, four-post lift systems have disadvantages as compared to a central-pedestal lift of the type shown in Wright in that the four posts of the lift constitute an obstruction when the lift is not in use and restrict the use of the floor space which they occupy within the shop. Moreover, prior breakaway benches, because of their detachable nature, are of limited strength because they cannot rely to any great extent on the lift structure for their frame strength. Finally, a disadvantage of all prior elevated bench systems is that they are limited by the amount of force which can be applied to an automobile by a straightening tool which is anchored to the elevated bench.